Israeli bombs hit the Gaza Strip Friday morning after a week-long truce with Hamas expired and Israeli forces accused the Palestinian militant group of breaching the phrases of their settlement.
“Following sirens that sounded in communities close to Gaza, the IDF Aerial Protection Array efficiently intercepted a launch from Gaza,” a put up on the Israeli Protection Forces’ official X account learn at 6:18 a.m. native time.
Palestinians examine the destruction round residential buildings following Israeli air strikes within the Rafah refugee camp within the southern Gaza Strip on December 1, 2023, as combating resumed shortly after the expiration of a seven-day truce between Israel and Hamas militants.
Mentioned Khatib | AFP | Getty Pictures
One hour later, it posted an replace that learn: “Hamas violated the operational pause, and as well as, fired towards Israeli territory. The IDF has resumed fight in opposition to the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza.”
The truce itself expired at 7 a.m. native time on Friday. It went into place on Nov. 24, initially meant to final 4 days however was prolonged for 3 extra days as Qatari and Egyptian negotiators labored to additional the pause in combating. That allowed for a lot of extra Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners to be exchanged and extra humanitarian help to enter the battered Gaza Strip.
In complete, as of Friday, 110 of the hostages taken by Hamas into Gaza on Oct. 7 have been launched. That features 78 Israeli and dual-nationals, largely ladies and youngsters, freed in alternate for 240 Palestinian prisoners who had been held in Israeli prisons. Below the phrases of that deal, three Palestinian prisoners had been exchanged for each one Israeli hostage.
A person waves an Israeli flag as a car carrying two Russian hostages launched by Hamas militants on November 29, 2023, passes by Ofakim in southern Israel.
Menahem Kahana | AFP | Getty Pictures
Individually, three Israeli-Russian twin nationals had been launched as a part of a deal between Hamas and Moscow, and 24 non-Israeli overseas nationals — 23 Thai and one Filipino — had been freed in an settlement between Hamas and people captives’ governments. Earlier than the Nov. 24 deal, 4 different Israeli hostages had been freed and one was rescued in an operation by IDF forces.
Round 140 Israeli hostages are nonetheless in Gaza, largely males and troopers, for which Hamas is anticipated to set the next value. Egyptian and Qatari negotiators mentioned on Thursday they had been pushing for a brand new two-day extension, however these efforts apparently failed after what the IDF mentioned was a rocket assault from Gaza.
The resumption of fight comes a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s go to to Israel, his third for the reason that conflict started, the place he met with Israeli political and navy leaders and urged the continuation of the then-ongoing truce and confused the safety of Gaza civilians.
Blinken additionally visited the occupied West Financial institution, the place he met with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas. The secretary’s journey occurred as a capturing by Palestinian gunmen in West Jerusalem killed at the least three individuals, Israeli police mentioned. No group instantly claimed duty for the capturing.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken maintain a gathering on the Muqata, the presidential compound within the West Financial institution metropolis of Ramallah, on November 30, 2023.
Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty Pictures
Israel’s conflict with Hamas that started on Oct. 7 is the bloodiest within the historical past of the Israeli-Palestinian battle but, and has killed greater than 14,500 individuals within the besieged Gaza Strip, in response to well being authorities there.
The air and land offensive by Israeli forces was launched in retaliation to a terrorist assault by Hamas on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 individuals and noticed one other roughly 240 taken hostage into Gaza. Israel authorities say that round 140 hostages stay there.